Now ReadingThat Girl: Stephanie Chai – Founder of the Luxe Nomad

The girl's guide to everything Singapore

3 June, 2015

That Girl: Stephanie Chai – Founder of the Luxe Nomad

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Our That Girl this month is a jet-setting, high-flying, globe-trotting guru and entrepreneur who turns everything digital she touches into gold. Once a super successful model in Asia, Stephanie Chai now runs The Luxe Nomad, Asia-Pacific’s leading luxury villa and hotel booking portal where you can book a trip to paradise on a budget. We caught up with this beautiful #girlboss to find out more about her top travel tips, how she stays constantly connected and more!

What are your flight essentials?My Macbook Air! Flights are always a good way to catch up on work, watch a film and generally tidy up my rather messy looking desktop. Am a bit of a daydreamer as well, so sometimes I’ll just end up listening to the music, gazing at the clouds and imagining all sorts of things.

Where would you recommend travelling – around Asia – on a budget?

Going out for dinner and drinks can be quite pricey, but the rest of Asia is your oyster! Thailand is just a few hours away and always good for a quick getaway. I’d opt for Bangkok as hotel rates there are pretty cheap – you can easily stay in a nice 4.5 star hotel such as Muse for just over USD 100 a night!

How do you stay so fit, and healthy, when you are traveling so frequently?Haha, I don’t think I consistently stay fit unfortunately! But regardless of where I am, I do try to get a good nights rest… you can use the best skincare in the world but nothing compares to some quality sleep. A good mattress, pillows and blackout curtains usually do the trick!

Other than that, when it comes to eating I try to ensure I don’t eat food with MSG and have meat only once a day. If it says ‘organic’… I’m there!

How would you describe your personal style when you’re traveling?90% of the time I’m in a dress and flats! Especially when the place I’m in is so hilly – it’s just a pain in heels! But for a bit more fun I’ll pop on Shopbop to pick up a dress! Once you start on that site you can’t stop…

What was your inspiration for Luxe Nomad?A friend sent me the link of a similar site in the States and said, “Hey you love to travel – why don’t you do this?”. And I replied five minutes later and said “Ok I will!”. I had no idea about e-commerce, the villa/hotel industry, raising funds etc… now I can safely say I’ve learned more in the last few years than I did the previous 10!

What are your favourite travel Apps?You know what, ironically I don’t really have a travel app I like to use. When it comes to travel guides I haven’t quite found what I think the aspiring/luxury consumer needs.

The Luxe Nomad Instagram account has over 83,000 followers, any tips and tricks you can share with us?
Instagram is all about pretty pictures so if a photo isn’t beautiful, don’t post it. Don’t be afraid to re-gram images as long as you credit them, copying is the sincerest form of flattery after all! If in doubt post a blue picture – it’s the most popular colour on Instagram and always gets lots of likes.

What do you do to keep in touch with your friends amidst your hectic work schedule?Whatsapp. Those group chats keep going on and on…

What was your most spectacular vacation experience?Perhaps it would still be New York. It’s still the most cosmopolitan place I’ve been to… and as someone who grew up at international school with kids from around the world – I love the idea of being part of a cultural melting pot where everyone hangs around with everyone and you’re not boxed into one group. You learn so much from travelling to new places, but you learn even more from different cultures.

Favourite skiing holiday in Asia?
Never been skiing in Asia unfortunately! Would love to try out Niseko for skiing which my colleagues have been to and is currently the ‘it’ place to be – it’s always booked out!

Do you have a morning routine, if so what is it?
Wake up. Check messages/emails on phone. Sleep a little bit more. Check emails. Shower, get dressed, bowl of muesli and then it’s my morning read of BBC and Daily Mail!

Working online means you’re always connected, do you do a daily digital detox or go to unplugged resorts?Nope, but I’m currently on a plane and was just thinking of doing exactly that!

Do you have a favourite local coffee shop in Singapore?Common Man Coffee Roasters. I don’t drink coffee but it’s well known for its coffee and has a great brunch menu!

What is your favourite date-night spot in Singapore?I love Lukes just off club street. The tuna tartare and steak is great there. Plus the macaroni and cheese!

Where do you go when you want to let your hair down and party with your girlfriends in Singapore and what’s your signature drink?We go to Kyo on a Thursday night and once in a while to Bang Bang… but we don’t go out too much in SG, it’s normally dinner and drinks. Neon Pigeon is a great new restaurant/bar and for some reason we always end up at Cufflink for cocktails.

What do you love most about Singapore?I think Singapore is a great mix between East and West. While it is an Asian country, it’s so easy to get around and do business because everyone speaks English and overall it feels very international. It’s a little quieter and less hectic than Hong Kong but sometimes that’s a good thing. And one can’t complain about having ‘space’. It’s nice to come home to a spacious apt and not a shoebox!